A Des Moines barbecue restaurant was named one of the best in the U.S.
Yelp released its list of Top 100 Barbecue Spots 2024, and a Des Moines barbecue restaurant, Smokey D’s BBQ, made the list of 100. The restaurant landed in the No. 99 spot.
The crowd-sourcing review site's methodology included identifying restaurants with a high number of "barbecue" mentions, then looking at factors including total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning those keywords.
The barbecue restaurant, located at 5055 N.W. Second St., Des Moines, received 4.1 stars based on 481 reviews.
More: Barbecue king Moe Cason started making barbecue as a hobby. Now he has a cookbook.
What are customers saying about the barbecue at Smokey D’s BBQ?
Tim C. from West Des Moines called it, “By far the best BBQ in Des Moines. Get the burnt ends and/or Ribs with mac & cheese. You won't be disappointed.”
Tammy W. from Cincinnati said, “A DDD stop that definitely did not disappoint. I had the smoked meatloaf special which was one of the best meatloaf dishes I've ever had. Also had chopped pork, potato casserole and cucumber onion salad. For dessert, ordered the apple dumpling and some peach pie. All was delicious and we were very stuffed even with half going home in a takeout box. Busy place.”
She refers to the restaurant’s appearance on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” where the television personality and chef called the restaurant from owners Darren and Sherry Warth the “swine coliseum.” The TV host ate the Asian smoked wings and apple dumpling during Season 22, Episode 1 dubbed “Fish, Fries and Feet.”
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Award-winning barbecue at Smokey D’s
The Warths opened Smokey D’s in 2006 after they found success on the barbecue circuit. They started barbecuing as a hobby in their back yard in 2001, and visited their first competition, the American Royal in Kansas City, in 2002.
At their first competition in Sedalia, Missouri, the couple earned two top 10 finishes. Since, they’ve won World BBQ Championships at the American Royal in Kansas City, the Jack Daniels Invitational BBQ Championship in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and the Houston Livestock and Rodeo BBQ.
In all, Smokey D’s BBQ has won more than 90 state barbecue championships and more than 1,000 local, regional, and national awards, according to the restaurant’s website.
More: Eat stellar barbecue at this Des Moines restaurant, just inducted into the hall of fame
Where to find Smokey D’s BBQ
Locations: 5055 N.W. Second St., Des Moines; 515-243-2747. Open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
601 Locust St., skywalk level, Des Moines. Open Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Contact: smokeydsbbq.com
Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, X, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Yelp names Des Moines' Smokey D's BBQ one of the best in the US
